MAKING PICTURE FRAMES IS A WONDERFUL ADVENTURE

A short time ago, I was contacted by someone requesting that SugarTree WoodWerks create a picture frame for their newly earned certificate. This person had just acquired a certificate of completion for an educational program they worked hard to complete. This person wanted a picture frame to proudly display their accomplishment. I responded with an enthusiastic "Yes, making frames is such a pleasure!"

After discussing the size and style, in this case, the size of a standard 8" x 11" sheet of paper, I set to work selecting the material to complete this request. I was granted full artistic license, and wanted to make something simple yet elegant. I looked around for some inspiration in my scrap pile. A piece of pine was spotted that was long enough for my needs. Pine certainly covers the simple aspect of my artistic goal. Under this pine was a strip of curly cherry left over from a previous project. This curly cherry would satisfy the elegant portion of my goal, if used as an inlay surrounded by some carved grooves.

This part of the project always gives me nervous excitement. I have an idea, I have the material, and I have the anticipation of bringing something to life that did not exist before. This will be framing something important to someone. It will be hanging on their wall, maybe for the rest of their life. Who knows, maybe this will be passed down to their grandchildren some day. It is a very humbling feeling. I contemplate what this means, as I place these pieces of rough lumber on the workbench. I am honored to be part of that story. The story of how this frame is born is my addition to it. Pressures on...so it is time to get to work!

CREATING THE INLAY & GLASS NOTCH

After making a cup of coffee, I set to work in the SugarTree WoodWerks shop milling the lumber to a roughly dimensioned size. It is important the work pieces have parallel, square sides. This will ensure that when the stock is chopped up to size, that all shaping and angles line up during glue up. In order to complete this mission, I used my table saw to make quick work of this, shaving the sides and faces flat. As for the piece of cherry scrap selected for the inlay, it was already cut to size. No further processing was necessary. It is always about the small wins sometimes.

After milling the wood to size, it is time to shape the wood. Before I do this though, a space must be made for the cherry inlay to fit into. Tackling the inlay first allows for the gluing, clamping, and then sanding flush of the cherry with the surrounding wood. Once flush, both pieces become one piece and can be safely routed with various shapes. I was torn between using the table saw or the router to make the space. Safety influenced this decision, making the router the superior choice. The reason why the router was chosen is because to make this groove, a dado stack would have been used on the table saw. I do not have a zero clearance insert, so a I would forced to use the dado stack with no insert. The work pieces were too narrow, creating a dangerous, unstable situation. Moving to the router, a shallow straight bit was chosen. After adjusting both the height and depth, the groove was carved out. As the Cherry scrap was placed in the groove, I breathed a sigh of relief as it fit perfectly!!

Ok, now that I know it fits, glue is applied to both the groove in the pine, and the cherry inlay piece. A gentle tap with a mallet ensures that the inlay is pressed into the pine securely. Some clamps are applied and the setup is allowed to sit for a few hours. After some lunch, I return to the shop, pressed play on my play list and inspected my glue up. Removal of the clamps reveal a solid strong bond, and the need to remove some material from the cherry to make it flush with the pine. My random orbit sander with 80 grit sand paper removes material fast. When finished, I am left with a smooth, solid work piece composed of pine and cherry. So far so good.

Now that I have a prepared frame block, now it is time to begin adding some shape and texture. I selected several router bits that will carve out some concaves, grooves, and the space for the glass and backboard. I find this process to be interesting because with some time and effort, unique designs can be made that always impress. I took some time to install the first bit, a rabatting bit that will create the notch for the picture contents. Some measurements are taken, router and vacuum are turned on, and the notch is created in the pine. A test fit with the glass and backboard yield a positive result.

notch for glass and backing board and cherry inlay.

TIME FOR THIS FRAME TO GET IN SHAPE

Finally it is time to shape the block. I select some bits that will create grooves, angles, and concave shapes. Starting with the round radius bit, I aggressively remove material to create a deep groove about a the size of a thumb. Several passes were made over the bit to ensure a smooth removal of wood. For the sake of balance, it was decided to add another groove to the other side of the inlay. The bit was lowered, which creates a groove that will be more shallow than the one just routed. The frame stock was flipped around, and passed 3 times over the round radius bit.

For the inside of the frame, I like to create a concave to provide the effect of being drawn into the picture. A few passes over the spinning bit creates this great feature. I like to experiment with various shaping in this area of the frame. In my experience, different shapes add different illusions and feelings. I am not certain of the technical word for this. These shapes are similar to how colors in a painting can create warmth or coolness. In this particular case, the concave was chosen.

I moved my attention to the outside perimeter of the frame. I like to either cut the back using a 20 degree bevel on the tablesaw. Today I decided to use a router bit that will create 45 degree bevel. This provides depth and will act to "separate" the frame from the wall. I take time to install the chamfer bit, and sip my coffee a few times. Once all dialed in, the wood is passed over this bit several times. What is produced is a smooth angled cut.

After looking at the what was made so far, I felt that a minor detail was missing. This is after all something that will on display. No reason to cut corners. I decided to take a risk and carve a small v shaped pinstripe into the middle of the cherry inlay. This to my delight, created a multiplying effect, giving the illusion of two separate inlays.

The first step towards a simple design combined with elegance has been achieved.

FROM A STICK TO A FRAME

A picture frame is nothing more but 4 sides joined with a degree miter joint. Basically just like molding, like you would find in your house. So to assist in accurately sizing the frame the picture, I cut to size, the clear acrylic sheet. I used the tablesaw to quickly cut the Plexiglass to size. This will provide a sturdy structure to size the certificate frame to.

Using the miter saw, I cut the end of the shaped work piece with a degree angle. I made sure the angle was longer on the outside, and short on the inside. I place the glass in the groove, and mark with a pencil for the next angled cut. Moving back to the saw, I cut the 45 degree miter at my mark. Returning to the glass, I test to see if it fits. It was a little long, so I shaved a small amount off using the miter saw to recut the angle. I continue doing this several times, until I arrive at the correct length. This is repeated for all sides of the frame. I test fit the pieces, and they are PERFECT! So far all is going very well. I gain more excited as the idea in my head is being realized!

GLUE UP

Whew, what a journey it has been so far. From a piece of rough stock that was milled to size, adorned with a cherry inlay, and shaped with grooves and curves, a frame was born. Well almost, first it needs to be glued together, then it will be considered a frame.

For this frame I decided to use a type of wood glue that is similar to superglue. This stuff is awesome. It is called RapidFuse. It is just a really great product. Dries clear, sands easily, and dries solid fast.

I apply glue to the miter joints. Now gluing the miter joints will connect the pieces; however, due to the joint only gluing end grain to end grain, brad nails are used for further strength. After applying glue, I like to use this strap clamp is used to secure the frame while the glue dries. Some brad nails are applied to assist in fastening the frames corners. It is late and I have to work early in the morning, so I set the clamped assembly aside to dry.

SANDING

I returned to the SugarTree WoodWerks shop after work, and loosened the clamp gripping the frame. It feels rock solid, and the corners have no gaps. Perfect! This thing is going to look great once it is completed with the finish applied.

It is safe to say that I am the not the biggest fan of sanding. Its dirty, loud, tedious, and labor intensive. With that being said, the finished product, if done correctly, is glass smooth and gorgeous. So off I go and start sanding. The finished product will be worth the time taken to ensure a quality job is performed.

When sanding anything I make, I always want the finished product to feel good in the customers hands. smooth edges, no sharp edges, and rounded curves are what I strive to achieve. Sanding also works to blend the piece into a consistent shape and texture.

I use a random orbit sander to sand most of my projects. Starting with 80 grit, I go over the front, back and round the inner and outer edges. Now that I have begun, its time to get in the zone. With headphones on, I spend the next hour sanding with 100 grit paper, then 120 grit, then 180 grit, and finally 220 grit. I am always amazed at how the 220 grit creates a glass smooth surface.

All this snading creates a lot of dust as you can imagine. I have fashioned a way to connect my shop vac to the sander. This removes a lot of the dust before it can fill the air, and my lungs. Don't worry I always wear a respirator. Safety First!

I turn off the sander, turn off the shop vac, and remove my respirator. Brushing of the dust, the picture frame that I had envisioned sits before me. Now all that is left is the finishing process...My absolute FAVORITE part!

APPROACHING THE FINISHING LINE

I have to admit, when it comes to applying finish, I feel like a child on christmas morning. There is beauty hidden in plane site. Whether I am applying stain or oil, it is like unwrapping a present. As wood absorbs the stain or oil, the grain pattern instantly appears. Swirls, lines, shading, and sometimes if your lucky, hologram like cross graining can occur.

Now there are plenty of options for staining or oiling wood. That is for another time. Today I am using Tung Oil. I like Tung Oil because it brings out the essence of the wood. It does not color the wood, and the oil enhances it by making the grain pop as it is absorbed!

I soak a clean rag in some Tung oil and rub it in the frame. I really soak my rag again and continue to rub the oil into the front and back of the frame. I continue this until the wood stops "drinking" the oil. At this point I wipe the excess oil off of the frame. I will let the oil settle overnight. I have to work again in the morning.

SHELLAC IS NATURES WOOD FINISH

To seal and protect this frame, I decided to use some shellac that I had mixed up from a previous job. Shellac is interesting stuff. Made from the waxy secretions from the lac bug that drinks the sap from trees in India and Pakistan. The waxy cocoons are collected, dried, and processed into flakes. I was able to purchase these flakes, and mix then with denatured alcohol. Everclear or moonshine would work too.

I created a pad, by soaking some cotton balls in the shellac and alcohol mixture, and wrapped those with a clean cloth rag. Squeezing this "pad" soaks the outer cloth. I took this soaked cloth and rubbed a thin layer of the shellac onto the frame. Front and back and side and side. Shellac dries quick, due to the alcohol evaporating quickly. What is left is a smooth, hard, shiny surface. Now I spend the next hour building up this shellac, until a dense clear layer is achieved. Shellac is great because not only is it organic, each layer "melts" with the previous layer to create one singe layer.

The shellac really did a beautiful job of finishing the frame. It feels nice and smooth in the hand, gives the wood grain depth, and can be buffed to a high gloss finish. I decided to go the extra step and rub on a generous coat of paste wax. Once dried I buffed it to a glossy finish.

The glass was inserted, along with some priceless art, and the backing board attached. In this case a piece of cardboard was used. I purchased some clips from amazon that keep the glass, picture, and backboard in place. The last piece of hardware was the piece on the back that grips a nail in the wall.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Today I delivered the beautiful simple and elegant certificate frame to the customer. It is safe to say, it was a great success! I love the feeling that comes over me when a client is happy. It means I did a great job and added value in their life. Once the piece leaves the shop, I often wonder what kind of home it will have. What kind of journey will it take. What conversations will it hear, who will touch it? Will it outlive me? Maybe in the future, an archaeologist will discover it and place it in a museum built to educate society of what the past was like. I know, that last one was a far reach. Hey you never know.

Thank you for following along as the SugarTree WoodWerks shop extracted the beauty that resided in that pine and cherry. Each product is story, and I hope you enjoyed this one!

Contact me today if you would like a picture frame to display your story!

The Simple Yet Elegant Certificate Frame